Student Government wants to reach out to USF students this year.

Sammy Kalmowicz, senate president, spoke Tuesday night about the importance of students being able to identify with their student government.

?Our big goal is taking our open-door policy of welcoming students to SG and taking SG to the students,? Kalmowicz said.

Yousef Turshani, chairman for student concerns, presented a plan that would put in motion Kalmowicz?s idea to bring SG to the students.

Turshani is working with teachers from the University Experience course ? a class for freshman that teaches the ins and outs of USF ? putting in place a program in which senators will visit UE classrooms, introduce themselves, speak about SG and pass out the SG funded planners that are free to students at the beginning of each year.

Turshani said it is important that the senators interact with the new students.

?These students look up to us, and for us to go out to them and talk means a lot,? he said.

Turshani also discussed potential changes, such as improving USF?s online student information system, OASIS, changing USF?s plus/minus system of grading and raising the grade point average requirement of senators from 2.0 to 2.5.

Kalmowicz also mentioned this weekend?s SG retreat to Haines City. This year, all members of the senate were invited to join in the trip previously designated to senate executives.

Mike Griffin, student body president, said the retreat is designed to collaborate goals and missions among the senators and help raise the level of communication.

Griffin said the retreat would help him get to know the senators better, which he said was important as he plans on using their collective input when he and student body vice president Dave Mincberg make important decisions.

?When Dave and I make decisions, the key is that we are going to be as inclusive as possible,? Griffin said.

Contact Ryan Meehanat oracleryan@yahoo.com